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5 min readThe world’s stingiest trillionaire
When Elon Musk’s net worth hit $1.4 trillion after SpaceX’s IPO, he became roughly 7 million times wealthier than a middle-class American and worth more than the entire economy of Switzerland. But as Vox fellow Sarah Herschander points out, the question isn't whether Musk could solve some of the world’s most intractable problems — it’s whether he would. And the evidence so far suggests the answer is no.
What a trillion dollars could actually do
Herschander compiled a list of ten things Musk could do with his fortune, each with a concrete price tag. Pulling hundreds of millions of people out of extreme poverty would cost $318 billion annually. Paying off all medical debt in the United States would run about $220 billion total. Free universal preschool for every American child would cost $351 billion over ten years. Ending global hunger by 2030 would require $93 billion per year — about half of Musk’s current net worth, leaving him with $500 billion to spare. Ending homelessness in America would cost between $10 billion and $30 billion annually. Bringing everyone in the world clean drinking water would run $114 billion per year. Eradicating tuberculosis and malaria together would cost less than a quarter of his net worth.
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What you'll learn
- 1 (00:01) **Elon Musk becomes the world's first trillionaire** - Host introduces the episode's premise: Elon Musk's net worth has hit $1.4 trillion, making him 13x wealthier than Bill Gates and 7 million times wealthier than the average middle-class person.
- 2 (02:42) **List item 1: Pull hundreds of millions out of extreme poverty** - Cost: $318 billion annually. Based on analysis from the group GiveDirectly for direct cash transfers.
- 3 (03:25) **List item 2: Pay off all U.S. medical debt** - Cost: $220 billion total. Over 100 million Americans are burdened by medical debt, often predatory and outside of their control.
- 4 (04:17) **List item 3: Fund universal preschool** - Cost: $351 billion over 10 years. Covers new construction, teacher hiring, and scaling existing infrastructure.
- 5 (05:12) **List item 4: Climate-proof the world** - Cost: $1.2 trillion (his entire fortune). This is the most expensive item, covering cooling systems, flood protection, and safety strategies.
- 6 (05:52) **List item 5: End world hunger** - Cost: $93 billion annually ($465 billion over time). Musk previously challenged the World Food Programme to prove they could use $6 billion effectively, then "ghosted" them.
- 7 (07:13) **List item 6: Research cures for diseases like cancer** - Cost: Could double the U.S. budget for scientific and medical research. Musk has funded scientific breakthroughs before, but his track record on public health is poor.
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Guests on this episode
Show Notes
Ten ways Elon Musk could use his money to make the world a better place... and why he probably won’t.
This episode was produced by Ariana Aspuru, edited by Jolie Myers, fact-checked by Gabriel Dunatov, engineered by Patrick Boyd and David Tatasciore, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram.
A poster critical of Elon Musk's wealth from the "Everyone Hates Elon" activist group in England. Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images.
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